1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a greeting card dispensing apparatus and method which gives a customer the capability to simultaneously design a personalized greeting card and include with it an associated gift. The gifts can include such items as a one or more chances in a telephone game contest, such as the SPELLIT game and the ADDITUP game marketed by the inventor, a limited amount of toll free calling via a 1-800 access number, or a gift certificate, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
The greeting card business in the United States has evolved into a $5+ billion per year industry. Most greeting cards are still produced by manufacturing concerns as generic cards marketed through retail stores. However, a growing number of greeting cards are produced by specialized vending machines or kiosks which permit the customer to, at least partially, personalize the cards. The personalization available at these vending kiosks can run all the way from merely typesetting the names of sender and receiver to writing verses, selecting and/or modifying pictures, colors, sizes, etc. Hallmark Cards, Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., plans to have upwards of 1900 such kiosks in operation by 1993 under the "Personalize it!" logo, while American Greetings Corp. has a number of operating kiosks under the "CreataCard" logo. The CreataCard kiosks allow great personalizing flexibility since they actually use a plotter pen to write personalized messages and draw any of a number of selected pictures, and Hallmark is test marketing a similar, more versatile kiosk as well. Some industry sources estimate the personalized greeting card business will grow to be a $200+ million dollar industry within five years.
It is no accident that most retail sales outlets for traditional greeting cards are also gift shops as well. It is customary to give a gift on many occasions along with a greeting card, e.g. birthdays, weddings, graduations, etc. Thus, particularly with today's hectic life style, it is more convenient to purchase the gift at the same time and in the same store as the greeting card, or vice versa. By contrast, with the increasing sophistication of the personalized card kiosks, they are now being placed in stand-alone locations in shopping malls, grocery stores, and even airports, etc., where it may not be convenient or even possible to simultaneously purchase a gift as well.
It would be desirable with such personalized greeting card kiosks for the customer to be able to simultaneously purchase a gift along with the personalized card. Such gifts must be capable of being electronically vended by the same kiosk, including, preferably the same card printer. Furthermore, it would be desirable if the gifts themselves, or a receipt evidencing the gifts, could be printed on the personalized card itself.